KARACHI: Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani, a former supreme court judge and one of the leading Islamic scholars in Pakistan, received King Abdullah (II) International Award for topping the list of 500 most persuasive Muslims in the world in the capital city of Amman, Jordan, on Monday.
The list of most influential Muslims was prepared by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Center, an autonomous research entity with the Royal Aal Al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought, Amman, Jordan.
“I am thankful to Allah for being considered for this most prestigious award,” Usmani told Arab News on phone from Amman where he received the award along with $50,000 in cash, which he said he would gift to his seminary, Darul Uloom Karachi.
Usmani, who is a leading scholar of Hadith, Islamic jurisprudence and Islamic finance, stressed that Muslims must “excel in the fields of economy and technology, besides protecting their heritage of knowledge and Deen (religion) if they are to break the chains of slavery.”
“In Today’s world, wars are fought in the fields of economy and technology. Those who spread their hands [before others] cannot expand their legs [to walk freely],” he said.
Usmani served as a Judge of the Sharia at Appellate Bench of the Supreme Court of Pakistan from 1982 to May 2002. He is also the Chairman of the Sharia Board for the Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI) and formerly served as Deputy Chairman of the Islamic Fiqh Academy, Jeddah.
His current portfolio also includes chairmanship of the Sharia Supervisory Boards of Guidance Financial Group, USA, Saudi American Bank, Jeddah, and Citi Islamic Investment Bank, Bahrain; vice chairmanship of Shari’ah Supervisory Board of Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank; membership of the Shari’ah Supervisory Boards of Al-Baraka Group, Jeddah, First Islamic Investment Bank, Bahrain, and the Islamic Unit of the United Bank of Kuwait, among others.
Justice Usmani holds Alimiyyah and Takhassus degrees from Darul Uloom, Karachi, a Master's degree from Punjab University and an LLB from Karachi University.
Pakistan’s Mufti Taqi Usmani declared most persuasive Muslim by Jordan
Pakistan’s Mufti Taqi Usmani declared most persuasive Muslim by Jordan
- Usmani tops the list of 500 most persuasive Muslims in the world, according to the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Center
- He is a leading scholar of Hadith, Islamic jurisprudence and Islamic finance
Veon Group invests $20 million in Pakistan’s Mobilink Bank to accelerate digital Islamic banking
- The investment builds on $15 million capital deployed by Veon in January 2025
- The capital will be used to scale the bank’s micro, small and medium enterprises
KARACHI: Global digital operator Veon Group has announced an investment of $20 million in Pakistan’s Mobilink Bank to support its growth and digital Islamic banking expansion in Pakistan, it said on Friday.
Mobilink Bank is a part of Veon Group, a global digital operator that provides services to over 150 million connectivity customers and over 140 million monthly active digital users. The Nasdaq-listed company operates across five countries that are home to more than 6 percent of the world’s population.
The investment builds on $15 million capital deployed by Veon in January 2025 and underscores its confidence in Mobilink Bank’s growth momentum and its integrated digital financial ecosystem with JazzCash, amid the rapid expansion of Pakistan’s digital banking and microfinance sector, according to Veon Group.
The capital will be used to scale Mobilink Bank’s micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) financing portfolio, advance its Islamic banking offerings, and strengthen its evolution into a technology-driven, digitally native bank, with a continued focus on expanding regulated financial access for underserved communities.
“This investment will accelerate the expansion of our shariah-compliant Islamic banking offerings, helping small businesses formalize cash flows, access regulated credit, and build long-term financial resilience,” said Haaris Mahmood Chaudhary, president and chief executive officer of Mobilink Bank.
“As a future-ready digital bank, our focus remains on delivering practical, technology-enabled financial solutions that empower entrepreneurs — particularly women and underserved communities — across Pakistan.”
Mobilink Bank’s expanding deposit base and MSME-oriented lending portfolio are enabling small businesses to transition from informal cash usage to regulated banking, while targeted women-centric financial products and green financing initiatives support inclusive growth and resilience in the face of Pakistan’s climate and economic challenges, according to a statement issued by Veon Group.
Mobilink Bank, together with JazzCash, which serves over 57 million customers and is supported by a nationwide network of more than one million merchants and agents, anchors one of Pakistan’s largest digital financial ecosystems. During the year, JazzCash processed gross transaction value exceeding Rs15 trillion ($53 billion), underscoring the scale, resilience, and impact of fintech in advancing financial inclusion, social mobility, and responsible digital innovation across Pakistan.
The investment reflects Veon Group’s broader digital strategy of strengthening high-impact financial ecosystems through technology-led solutions and disciplined capital deployment, positioning Mobilink Bank as a key contributor to Pakistan’s evolving financial sector, according to the global digital operator.
“This continued stream of investment from VEON underscores our long-term commitment to Pakistan and confidence in the structural shift underway in the country’s digital financial services ecosystem,” Veon Group Executive Committee Member and Chairman Mobilink Bank, Aamir Ibrahim, was quoted as saying.
“It strengthens Mobilink Bank and JazzCash’s ability to execute on our strategic priorities, invest in resilient technology infrastructure, and contribute to the development of inclusive and sustainable digital banking.”
